Overlooks irresponsible spending of Bush

“What intelligent and informed voters?” That’s one of the questions raised by John de Carville in his rambling jeremiad of Dec. 4. He proclaims, “I rather doubt the majority of Democrats gave two figs about our mounting debt and deficit, nor the extent to which our Constitution is being trashed.” He overlooks the irresponsible spending of former President George W. Bush — two unfunded and unnecessary wars, along with Medicare Part D, a windfall for pharmaceutical companies. Not once in eight years did President Bush veto congressional overspending.

Mr. de Carville laments the Constitution “being trashed.” Under President Bush, who proclaimed to engage in war “to spread democracy,” we saw the Bill of Rights suspended or ignored here at home.

He asserts that many voters in the last election, “have no idea where Benghazi is, nor which country it’s in.” That reminds me of the interview Chris Matthews gave George W. Bush during his presidential campaign. Mr. Bush exhibited a woeful ignorance of foreign affairs to millions of television viewers. This is a man who had never traveled outside the United States prior to being elected to the nation’s highest office. A man who never possessed a passport until he moved into the White House.

I do agree with Mr. de Carville on one issue, “braking runaway welfare expenditures.” I wonder, however, if this includes corporate welfare. It was reported recently that 26 major American companies, such as AT&T, Citigroup and Boeing, paid their CEOs more than $20 million each in 2011, while paying little or no federal taxes on profits. According to the Institute of Policy Studies, James McNerney, Boeing CEO, was paid more than $18 million in 2011, a year in which his company received a tax refund of $605 million.

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Finally, Mr. de Carville characterizes President Obama as, “This great divider, this great destructive campaigner, whom we know can’t govern, we’re supposed to work with this guy the next four years? Good luck with that.”

There’s one thing I always like, that’s a fair and balanced commentary, without vitriol.